System for navigating drivers to passengers based on start times of events

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment a transportation request specifying a pickup location is received. The transportation request is associated with an event to be attended by a subscriber to a transportation service. A start time of the event is determined. A data source associated with the event is monitored to detect whether the start time of the event has changed. A pickup time to pick up the subscriber for the event is determined wherein the pickup time is based at least in part on the start time of the event and the pickup location.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/985,565, filed on Dec. 31, 2015. The aforementioned application ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates in general to the field of mobile applicationsand, more particularly, to a system for navigating drivers to passengersbased on start times of events.

BACKGROUND

A transportation service may utilize a plurality of drivers that fulfillpassenger requests for transportation. A transportation service mayprovide one or more mobile applications that facilitate the efficientpairing of passengers and drivers. The transportation service mayreceive a transportation request and select a driver to fulfill therequest based on information associated with the transportation requestand information associated with the driver.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To provide a more complete understanding of the present disclosure andfeatures and advantages thereof, reference is made to the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, whereinlike reference numerals represent like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system for navigating drivers topassengers based on start times of events in accordance with certainembodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a passenger computing device and adriver computing device of the system of FIG. 1 in accordance withcertain embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a backend system of the system ofFIG. 1 in accordance with certain embodiments.

FIG. 4 is an example flowchart illustrating possible operations of aflow that may be associated with determining a pickup time in accordancewith certain embodiments.

FIG. 5 is an example flowchart illustrating possible operations of aflow that may be associated with determining a pickup time in accordancewith certain embodiments.

FIG. 6 is an example flowchart illustrating possible operations of aflow that may be associated with determining a pickup time in accordancewith certain embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS Overview

In one embodiment a transportation request specifying a pickup locationis received. The transportation request is associated with an event tobe attended by a subscriber to a transportation service. A start time isdetermined. A data source associated with the event is monitored todetect whether the start time of the event has changed. A pickup time topick up the subscriber for the event is determined wherein the pickuptime is based at least in part on the start time of the event and thepickup location.

Example Embodiments

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system 100 for navigatingdrivers to passengers based on start times of events in accordance withcertain embodiments. Although various embodiments may include any numberof drivers, passengers, and associated devices, system 100 depicts threepassengers having associated passenger computing devices 104 and twodrivers having associated driver computing devices 108. The computingdevices are coupled through various networks 120 to an applicationserver 112 and a backend system 116.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure may enhance the experienceof passengers and drivers associated with a transportation service byassociating a transportation request from a passenger with an event andnavigating a driver to the pick up the passenger at a time based on thestart time of the event that will allow the passenger to arrive at theevent on time. An event is any occurrence that may be associated with astart time and a location. Thus, an event could be a flight that isdeparting at a particular time, an indication (e.g., within atransportation request or calendar appointment or other device activityinformation) by a passenger that the passenger desires to arrive at aparticular place by a particular time (e.g., the passenger may desire toarrive at work by 8:00 AM or his mother's house at 5:00 PM), a calendarappointment, a sporting event, or any other occurrence having a starttime and location. Particular embodiments may include monitoring aninformation source associated with the event and adjusting the pickuptime in response to a change in the start time of the event. In variousembodiments, if the event is canceled, the transportation request may becanceled in response. Various embodiments may provide technicaladvantages such as optimizing the utilization of drivers thus reservingcomputing and power resources, minimizing the amount of interactionbetween the passenger and the passenger's computing device to order aride specifying a desired pickup time, or other technical advantages.

Computing devices 104 and 108 may include any electronic computingdevice operable to receive, transmit, process, and store any appropriatedata. In various embodiments, computing devices 104 and 108 may bemobile devices or stationary devices. As examples, mobile devices mayinclude laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones, personaldigital assistants, smartwatches, computers integrated with a vehicle,computers integrated with clothing, and other devices capable ofconnecting (e.g., wirelessly) to one or more networks 120 whilestationary devices may include desktop computers, televisions, or otherdevices that are not easily portable. Devices 104 and 108 may include aset of programs such as operating systems (e.g., Microsoft Windows,Linux, Android, Mac OSX, Apple iOS, UNIX, or similar operating system),applications, plug-ins, applets, virtual machines, machine images,drivers, executable files, and other software-based programs capable ofbeing run, executed, or otherwise used by the respective devices. Eachcomputing device can include at least one graphical display and userinterface allowing a user to view and interact with applications andother programs of the computing device. In a particular embodiment,computing device 108 may be a hardened device that is configured to onlyrun a driver application using a specialized operating system (e.g., amodified version of Android). In one embodiment, a transportationservice may issue or otherwise facilitate the provision of hardeneddevices to its drivers, but restrict the functionality of the devices tothe driver application (i.e., the devices may be locked down so as notto allow the installation of additional applications or may only allowpreapproved applications to be installed).

In various embodiments, a driver computing device 108 may be integratedwithin and/or communicate with a self-driven vehicle (e.g., a vehiclethat has the capability of driving without physical steering guidancefrom a human being) and may influence the movement of the vehicle byproviding route information (e.g., passenger pick-up and destinationlocations driver destination locations, navigational directions, etc.)to the self-driven vehicle. Accordingly, as used herein “driver” mayrefer to a human being that may physically drive or otherwise controlmovement of a vehicle or to the vehicle itself (e.g., in the case of aself-driven vehicle) or component thereof (e.g., computing deviceapplication 108 or logic thereof).

In particular embodiments, a passenger application runs on passengercomputing devices 104. The application may allow a user to enter variousaccount information (e.g., in connection with a registration with thetransportation service) to be utilized by a transportation service. Forexample, the account information may include a user name and password(or other login credentials), contact information of the user (e.g.,phone number, home address), payment information (e.g., credit cardnumbers or bank account numbers and associated information), carpreference information (e.g., what models or color of car the userprefers), or other account information.

The application may allow a user to request a ride from thetransportation service. In various embodiments, the application mayestablish a pick-up location automatically or based on user input (e.g.,locations may include the current location of the computing device 104as determined by a global positioning system (GPS) of the computingdevice or a different user specified location). In certain embodiments,the user may specify a destination location as well. The locations maybe specified in any suitable format, such as GPS coordinates, streetaddress, establishment name (e.g., LaGuardia Airport, Central Park,etc.), or other suitable format. At any time (e.g., before the ride,during the ride, or after the ride is complete) the user may specify amethod of payment to be used for the ride. The user may also specifywhether the request is for immediate pick-up or for a specified time inthe future. In various embodiments, the user may specify pick-up by avehicle that has particular merchandise available for use by the user,such as a specified type of battery charger, bottle of water or otherfood or beverage, umbrella, or other suitable merchandise. The user mayalso specify criteria for the driver, such as a minimum performancerating, such that drivers having performance ratings below the minimumperformance rating will not be considered during selection of thedriver.

The user may use the application to order a ride based on the specifiedinformation. The request for the ride is generated based on theinformation and transmitted to backend system 116. Backend system 116will facilitate the selection of a driver. In some embodiments, backendsystem 116 may select a driver based on any suitable factors, such asthe information contained in the request from the passenger, theproximity of the driver to the passenger, or other suitable factors. Inother embodiments, backend system 116 may select a plurality of driversthat could fulfill the ride request, send information associated withthe drivers to the passenger, and allow the passenger to select thedriver to be used via the application on the passenger computing device104. Any suitable information about the potential driver(s) may be sentto the computing device 104 either before or after the selection of thedriver by the passenger, such as a location of a driver, an estimatedpick-up time, a type of car used by a driver, the merchandise availablein the car, driver ratings or comments from other passengers about thedriver, or other suitable information.

Once a driver has been selected and has accepted the request to providea ride, the application may notify the user of the selected driver andprovide real-time updates of the driver's location (e.g., with respectto the passenger's location) and estimated pick-up time. The applicationmay also provide contact information for the driver and/or the abilityto contact the driver through the application (e.g., via a phone call ortext). Once the ride has begun, the application may display any suitableinformation, such as the current location of the computing device 104and the route to be taken. Upon completion of the ride, the applicationmay provide the passenger the ability to rate the driver or providecomments about the driver.

In particular embodiments, a driver application runs on driver computingdevices 108. The application may allow a driver to enter various accountinformation to be utilized by a transportation service. For example, theaccount information may include a user name and password (or other logincredentials), contact information of the driver (e.g., phone number,home address), information used to collect payment (e.g., bank accountinformation), vehicle information (e.g., what model or color of car thedriver utilizes), merchandise offered by the driver, or other suitableinformation.

In various embodiments, the application may allow a driver to specifyhis availability to transport passengers for the transportation service.In some embodiments, the driver may select between multiple levels ofavailability. In one example, the driver may be “available,” meaningthat the driver is willing to receive and consider any transportationrequests that the transportation service sends the driver; the drivermay be “unavailable,” meaning that the driver is not willing to receiveany transportation requests (e.g., this state may be explicitlyindicated by the driver inputting this state into his computing deviceor may be detected through a deduction that the driver's computingdevice is not logged in to the transportation service through the driverapplication), or the driver may be “inactive,” meaning that the driveronly desires to receive particular requests meeting certain exceptioncriteria specified by the driver.

The application may periodically transmit the current location of thecomputing device 108 as determined by a GPS of the computing device 108to the backend system 116. When a driver is selected to provide (or isidentified as a suitable candidate for) a ride, backend system 116 maysend a notification to the driver application. In some embodiments, thedriver may have a limited amount of time to select whether the driveraccepts the ride. In other embodiments, the application may beconfigured by the driver to automatically accept the ride or toautomatically accept the ride if certain criteria are met (e.g., fareminimum, direction of travel, minimum passenger rating, etc.).

Once a pairing of the driver and the passenger is confirmed by backendsystem 116 , the application may navigate the driver to the passenger.The application may also provide contact information for the passengerand/or the ability to contact the passenger through the application(e.g., via a phone call, email, instant message, or text). Theapplication may also navigate the driver to the passenger's destinationonce the ride begins. Upon completion of the ride, the application mayprovide the driver the ability to rate the passenger or provide commentsabout the passenger.

System 100 may include one or more application servers 112 coupled tothe computing devices through one or more networks 120. The passengerapplication and driver application may be supported with, downloadedfrom, served by, or otherwise provided through an application server 112or other suitable means. In some instances, the applications can bedownloaded from an application storefront onto a particular computingdevice using storefronts such as Google Android Market, Apple App Store,Palm Software Store and App Catalog, RIM App World, etc., or othersources. In various embodiments, the passenger application and driverapplication may be installed on their respective devices in any suitablemanner and at any suitable time. As one example, a passenger applicationmay be installed on a computing device as part of a suite ofapplications that are pre-installed prior to provision of the computingdevice to a consumer. As another example, a driver application may beinstalled on a computing device by a transportation service (or anentity that provisions computing devices for the transportation service)prior to the issuance of the device to a driver that is employed orotherwise associated with the transportation service.

As described above, applications utilized by computing devices 104 and108 can make use of a backend system 116. Backend system 116 maycomprise any suitable servers or other computing devices that facilitatethe provision of a transportation service as described herein. Forexample, backend system 116 may receive a request from a passenger andfacilitate the assignment of a driver to fulfill the request. Backendsystem 116 is described in more detail in connection with FIG. 3.

In general, servers and other computing devices of backend system 116 orapplication server 112 may include electronic computing devices operableto receive, transmit, process, store, or manage data and informationassociated with system 100. As used in this document, the term“computing device,” is intended to encompass any suitable processingdevice. For example, portions of backend system 116 or applicationserver 112 may be implemented using computers other than servers,including server pools. Further, any, all, or some of the computingdevices may be adapted to execute any operating system, including Linux,UNIX, Windows Server, etc., as well as virtual machines adapted tovirtualize execution of a particular operating system, includingcustomized and proprietary operating systems.

Further, servers and other computing devices of system 100 can eachinclude one or more processors, computer-readable memory, and one ormore interfaces, among other features and hardware. Servers can includeany suitable software component or module, or computing device(s)capable of hosting and/or serving a software application or services(e.g., services of application server 112 or backend system 116),including distributed, enterprise, or cloud-based software applications,data, and services. For instance, servers can be configured to host,serve, or otherwise manage data sets, or applications interfacing,coordinating with, or dependent on or used by other services, includingtransportation service applications and software tools. In someinstances, a server, system, subsystem, or computing device can beimplemented as some combination of devices that can be hosted on acommon computing system, server, server pool, or cloud computingenvironment and share computing resources, including shared memory,processors, and interfaces.

In various embodiments, backend system 116 or any components thereof maybe deployed using a cloud service such as Amazon Web Services, MicrosoftAzure, or Google Cloud Platform. For example, the functionality of thebackend system 116 may be provided by virtual machine servers that aredeployed for the purpose of providing such functionality or may beprovided by a service that runs on an existing platform.

System 100 also includes various networks 120 used to communicate databetween the computing devices 104 and 108, the backend system 116, andthe application server 112 . The networks 120 described herein may beany suitable network or combination of one or more networks operatingusing one or more suitable networking protocols. A network may representa series of points, nodes, or network elements and interconnectedcommunication paths for receiving and transmitting packets ofinformation. For example, a network may include one or more routers,switches, firewalls, security appliances, antivirus servers, or otheruseful network elements. A network may provide a communicative interfacebetween sources and/or hosts, and may comprise any public or privatenetwork, such as a local area network (LAN), wireless local area network(WLAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), Intranet, Extranet, Internet,wide area network (WAN), virtual private network (VPN), cellular network(implementing GSM, CDMA, 3G, 4G, LTE, etc.), or any other appropriatearchitecture or system that facilitates communications in a networkenvironment depending on the network topology. A network can compriseany number of hardware or software elements coupled to (and incommunication with) each other through a communications medium. In someembodiments, a network may simply comprise a transmission medium such asa cable (e.g., an Ethernet cable), air, or other transmission medium.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a passenger computing device 104and a driver computing device 108 of the system of FIG. 1 in accordancewith certain embodiments. Herein, “passenger computing device” may beused to refer to a computing device used by a subscriber or other userwho interacts with the transportation service (e.g., by communicatingwith the transportation service to request transportation) while “drivercomputing device” may be used to refer to a computing device used by adriver of the transportation service. A subscriber may refer to anindividual or entity that has provided account data (e.g., user name,password, payment information, telephone number, home address, otheraccount information, or any suitable combination thereof) to backendsystem 116 for storage by the backend system 116. In the embodimentshown, the devices may be communicatively coupled through network 120 gwhich may include any suitable intermediary nodes, such as a backendsystem 116.

In the embodiment depicted, computing devices 104 and 108 each include acomputer system to facilitate performance of their respectiveoperations. In particular embodiments, a computer system may include aprocessor, storage, and one or more communication interfaces, amongother components. As an example, computing devices 104 and 108 eachinclude one or more processors 202 and 204, memory elements 206 and 208,and communication interfaces 214 and 216, among other hardware andsoftware. These components may work together in order to providefunctionality described herein.

A processors 202 or 204 may be a microprocessor, controller, or anyother suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware,stored software and/or encoded logic operable to provide, either aloneor in conjunction with other components of computing devices 104 and108, the functionality of these computing devices. In particularembodiments, computing devices 104 and 108 may utilize multipleprocessors to perform the functions described herein.

A processor can execute any type of instructions to achieve theoperations detailed in this Specification. In one example, the processorcould transform an element or an article (e.g., data) from one state orthing to another state or thing. In another example, the activitiesoutlined herein may be implemented with fixed logic or programmablelogic (e.g., software/computer instructions executed by the processor)and the elements identified herein could be some type of a programmableprocessor, programmable digital logic (e.g., a field programmable gatearray (FPGA), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), anelectrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM)) or an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC) that includes digital logic,software, code, electronic instructions, or any suitable combinationthereof.

Memory 206 and 208 may comprise any form of non-volatile or volatilememory including, without limitation, random access memory (RAM),read-only memory (ROM), magnetic media (e.g., one or more disk or tapedrives), optical media, solid state memory (e.g., flash memory),removable media, or any other suitable local or remote memory componentor components. Memory 206 and 208 may store any suitable data orinformation utilized by computing devices 104 and 108, includingsoftware embedded in a computer readable medium, and/or encoded logicincorporated in hardware or otherwise stored (e.g., firmware). Memory206 and 208 may also store the results and/or intermediate results ofthe various calculations and determinations performed by processors 202and 204.

Communication interfaces 214 and 216 may be used for the communicationof signaling and/or data between computing devices 104 and 108 and oneor more networks (e.g., 120 g) and/or network nodes (e.g., backendsystem 116 and application server 112) coupled to a network or othercommunication channel. For example, communication interfaces 214 and 216may be used to send and receive network traffic such as data packets.Each communication interface 214 and 216 may send and receive dataand/or signals according to a distinct standard such as an LTE, IEEE802.11, IEEE 802.3, or other suitable standard. In various embodiments,any of the data described herein as being communicated between elementsof system 100 may be data generated using voice commands from a user ordata generated independently of voice commands (e.g., data may begenerated by a processor in response to the processor receiving datafrom another element or from an input device such as a touch screen).Communication interfaces 214 and 216 may include antennae and otherhardware for transmitting and receiving radio signals to and from otherdevices in connection with a wireless communication session over one ormore networks 120.

GPS units 210 and 212 may include any suitable hardware and/or softwarefor detecting a location of their respective computing devices 104 and108. For example, a GPS unit may comprise a system that receivesinformation from GPS satellites, wireless or cellular base stations,and/or other suitable source and calculates a location based on thisinformation (or receives a calculated position from a remote source). Inone embodiment, the GPS unit is embodied in a GPS chip.

Passenger application logic 218 may include logic providing, at least inpart, the functionality of the passenger application described herein.Similarly, driver application logic 220 may include logic providing, atleast in part, the functionality of the driver application describedherein. In a particular embodiment, the logic of devices 104 and 108 mayinclude software that is executed by processor 202 and 204. However,“logic” as used in this Specification, may include but not be limited tohardware, firmware, software and/or combinations of each to perform afunction(s) or an action(s), and/or to cause a function or action fromanother logic, method, and/or system. In various embodiments, logic mayinclude a software controlled microprocessor, discrete logic (e.g., anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), a programmed logicdevice (e.g., a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), a memory devicecontaining instructions, combinations of logic devices, or the like.Logic may include one or more gates, combinations of gates, or othercircuit components. Logic may also be fully embodied as software.

In a particular embodiment, a user may supply login credentials for asocial network system (e.g., FACEBOOK) or other social media system(e.g., TWITTER) to the transportation service through passengerapplication logic 218. The transportation service (e.g., through backendserver) may then access the user's account on the social network systemor other social media system and access information associated with theuser's account. As another example, passenger application logic 218 mayaccess the user's social media account directly and integrateinformation from the account with other functionality of the passengerapplication logic.

Social network application logic 222 may provide a user interface toallow a passenger to interact with (e.g., enter and transmit informationto and view information received from) a social network system. A socialnetwork system may store a record (i.e., a user profile) for each userof the system. The user profile may include any suitable informationabout the user, such as contact information, employment information,demographic information, personal interests, user-generated content, orother suitable information. The social network system may also store arecord of the user's relationship with other users of the social networksystem. For example, such information may be stored as a social graph,wherein users (e.g., individuals, groups, business entities,organizations, etc.) may be represented as nodes in the graph and thenodes may be connected based on relationships between the users. Asocial network system may provide various services (e.g., photo sharing,wall posts, messaging, games, or advertisements) facilitatinginteraction between the users.

In various embodiments, the social network system may interact withpassenger application logic 218 or backend system 116 to enhance thefunctionality of these components. As an example, background informationassociated with a passenger may be obtained by a backend system 116 andused to determine whether to route a request from the passenger to aparticular driver.

In a particular embodiment, the social network system allows users tocreate events, invite others to events, and to indicate attendance atsuch events. A record for an event stored by the social network systemmay include any suitable information, such as the name of the event, thetype of event, the time and date of the event, the location of theevent, a record of users that were invited to the event as well as anindication of whether the users have accepted, declined, or not yetresponded to the invitation, or other suitable information about theevent.

In various embodiments, the social network system may interact withpassenger application logic 218 or backend server 302 to enhance thefunctionality of these components. As an example, events created in thesocial network system may be provided to the backend server 302 throughan API or other interface to a data store of the social network system.In one embodiment, the social network system may allow backend server302 to access events independent of a user login associated with apassenger or driver. For example, the social network system may have anarrangement with the taxi service to provide events created in thesocial network system to the taxi service. In another embodiment,backend server 302 may access the events visible by the taxi service'sadministrators, passengers, and/or drivers via their respective logincredentials to the social network system.

In various embodiments, the social network system may provide any of thefunctionality listed above with respect to passenger application logic218 in allowing a user to request a ride from an event and may relayreceived requests for rides to backend server 302 along with anysuitable identifying information about the user to facilitate pickup bya driver. In one embodiment, information associated with requesting aride from the event may be provided on an event page (e.g., a page thatdisplays the details of the event) viewed by the user using socialnetwork application logic 222, a network browser, or other means. Theinformation associated with requesting a ride may include instructionsto or an interface (e.g., a link) to request a ride through the socialnetwork system, instructions to or a link to download passengerapplication logic 218 in order to request a ride, an advertisement aboutthe taxi service along with an indication that the taxi service mayprovide a ride from the event, a coupon for a discounted ride from theevent, or other suitable information facilitating the request of a ridefrom a user (who may or may not already be a customer of the taxiservice). In another embodiment, information associated with requestinga ride may be sent to the user by the social network system through thesocial network application logic 222 (e.g., via a push notification) orother means (e.g., email, text messaging). In various embodiments, theinformation associated with requesting a ride from the event is providedto the user in response to a determination that the user is at theevent.

Email application logic 224 may provide an interface for the passengerto read, draft, and/or manage emails. Email application logic 224 maycomprise a traditional email client (e.g., Microsoft Outlook or a nativeiOS or Android mail application) or a web-based email application (e.g.,a web browser or other application operable to access Outlook.com,Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, or other web-based email service).

Calendar application logic 226 may provide an interface for thepassenger to read, draft, and/or manage calendar appointments andrelated tasks. Calendar application logic 226 may comprise a traditionalcalendar client (e.g., Microsoft Outlook or a native iOS or Androidcalendar application) or a web-based calendar application (e.g., a webbrowser or other application operable to access Outlook.com, GoogleCalendar, or other web-based calendar service).

Search engine application logic 228 may provide an interface for thepassenger to perform Internet keyword searches. In various embodiments,logic 228 is operable to receive input forming a keyword search. In someembodiments, logic 228 may also perform the keyword search bytransmitting the search to one or more servers operable to perform thesearch and provide search results back to logic 228. In otherembodiments, logic 228 may communicate the input to another applicationto perform the keyword search. In various embodiments, logic 228 maypresent the search results to the passenger via any suitable interface(e.g., a visual or audio interface). In various embodiments, logic 228may comprise a web browser or other application.

Device assistant logic 230 may comprise logic to enhance thefunctionality of other applications of passenger computing device 104.In particular embodiments, device assistant logic 230 may comprise anintelligent personal assistant, such as Siri, Cortana, Google Now, orsimilar assistant. In various embodiment, device assistant logic 230 maymonitor activity of the passenger computing device 104, including anoperating system or one or more applications of passenger computingdevice 104. For example, device assistant logic 230 may access emails,instant messages, or text messages sent by, received by, or accessibleby email application logic 224 or other logic of passenger computingdevice 104. As another example, device assistant logic 224 may accesscalendar appointments available through calendar application logic 226(which may be stored in a calendar file stored by passenger computingdevice 104 or on a remote server). As another example, device assistantlogic 224 may access search queries made through search engineapplication logic 228. As another example, device assistant logic 224may access transportation requests made through passenger applicationlogic 218 or detect when passenger application logic 218 is opened. Asanother example, device assistant logic 230 may access the location ofpassenger computing device 104 using data determined by globalpositioning system 210.

In various embodiments, device assistant logic 230 may enhance the userexperience of the passenger by answering questions from the passenger,making recommendations to the passenger, and performing other actions,such as drafting emails, texts, or calendar appointments. In addition toanswering questions explicitly asked by the passenger, device assistantlogic 230 may proactively obtain information and present the informationto the passenger. In various embodiments, the proactive presentation ofinformation is based upon previous user activity with respect topassenger computing device 104. For example, device assistant logic 230may present or direct the presentation of (e.g., within a web browser)the status of a flight reservation or other travel reservation that thepassenger booked or accessed using a web browser of the passengercomputing device 104 or for which a confirmation email was received viaemail application logic 224. As other examples, device assistant logic230 may direct the presentation of hotel or restaurant reservations,weather information, sporting event information, package trackinginformation, local movie times, stock prices, news events, or otherinformation based on the passenger's location, emails, calendarappointments, search or browsing history, or other activity.

Device assistant logic 230 may also use information obtained from theoperating system or applications of passenger computing device 104 toenhance the user experience of the passenger with respect to thetransportation service. For example, information obtained by the deviceassistant logic 230 may be used to identify events that the passengermay be attending. In various embodiments, device assistant logic 230 maycommunicate device activity information (which may include at least asubset of the gathered information or other information obtained byprocessing at least a subset of the gathered information) directly to aserver of backend system 11 6 controlled by the transportation service.In other embodiments, device assistant logic 230 may communicateactivity information to a third party server controlled by, for example,the provider of the device assistant logic (e.g., Google, Apple,Microsoft, etc.), which may then communicate the device activityinformation (or a subset thereof) to a server of backend system 11 6controlled by the transportation service. In yet other embodiments,device assistant logic 230 may communicate device activity informationwith passenger application logic 218 which may then communicate deviceactivity information (or a subset thereof) to the backend system 116 .

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a backend system 116 of the systemof FIG. 1 in accordance with certain embodiments. Although FIG. 3depicts a particular implementation of the backend system 116, thebackend system may include any suitable devices to facilitate theoperation of the transportation service described herein. In theembodiment depicted, backend system includes backend server 302, datastore 304, and third party services 306 coupled together by network120h. In various embodiments, backend server 302, data store 304, and/orthird party services 306 may each comprise one or more physical devices(e.g., servers or other computing devices) providing the functionalitydescribed herein. In some embodiments, one or more of backend server302, data store 304, and third party services 306 (or portions thereof)are deployed using a cloud service and may comprise one or more virtualmachines or containers. In a particular embodiment, backend server 302and data store 304 are controlled by the transportation service, whilethird party services 306 are controlled by a third party entity.

In the embodiment depicted, backend server 302 includes a computersystem to facilitate performance of its operations. As an example,backend server 302 includes one or more processors 308, memory elements310, and communication interfaces 312, among other hardware andsoftware. These components may work together in order to provide backendserver functionality described herein. Processor 308 may have anysuitable characteristics of the processors 202 and 204 described above.In particular embodiments, backend server 302 may utilize multipleprocessors to perform the functions described herein. In variousembodiments, reference to a processor may refer to multiple discreteprocessors communicatively coupled together. Backend server 302 mayinclude one or more discrete devices.

Similarly, memory 310 may have any suitable characteristics of memories206 and 208 described above. Memory 310 may store any suitable data orinformation utilized by backend server 302, including software embeddedin a computer readable medium, and/or encoded logic incorporated inhardware or otherwise stored (e.g., firmware). Memory 310 may also storethe results and/or intermediate results of the various calculations anddeterminations performed by processor 308.

Communication interface 312 may also have any suitable characteristicsof communication interfaces 214 and 216 described above. Communicationinterfaces 312 may be used for the communication of signaling and/ordata between backend server 302 and one or more networks (e.g., networks120) and/or network nodes (e.g., computing devices 104 and 108, datastore 304, third party services 306, and application server 112) coupledto a network or other communication channel.

Business logic 314 may have any suitable characteristics of applicationlogic 218 and 220 described above. Business logic 314 may include logicproviding, at least in part, the functionality of the backend serverdescribed herein. In a particular embodiment, business logic 314 mayinclude software that is executed by processor 308. However, in otherembodiments, business logic 314 may take other forms such as thosedescribed above with respect to application logic 218 and 220.

Backend server 302 may communicate with data store 304 to initiatestorage and retrieval of data related to the transportation service.Data store 304, may store any suitable data associated with thetransportation service in any suitable format(s). For example, datastore 304 may include one or more database management systems (DBMS),such as SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, IBM DB2, or NoSQL data bases (e.g.,Redis and MongoDB). Data store 304 may be located on one or morecomputing devices that are distinct from backend server 302 or on thesame device as at least a portion of backend server 302. Any of theinformation stored by data store 304 could additionally or alternativelybe stored locally in memory 310 temporarily or persistently.

In the embodiment depicted, data store 304 includes passenger accountdata 316, passenger device activity data 317, driver account data 318,transportation request data 320, driver availability data 322,navigational data 324, and historical request data 326. The various datamay be updated at any suitable intervals.

Passenger account data 316 may include any suitable informationassociated with accounts of subscribers to the transportation service,such as contact information (e.g., real names and addresses), user namesand passwords (or other authentication information), payment information(e.g., credit card or bank account numbers and associated information),passenger preferences (e.g., preferred type or color of car), ratingsthe passenger has given drivers, ratings the passenger has received fromdrivers, or other information associated with passenger profiles.

Passenger device activity data 317 may comprise device activityinformation received from passenger computing devices 104 (e.g., viapassenger application logic 218, device assistant logic 230, or from athird party service), such as Internet search queries or local searchqueries (e.g., searches run within applications of passenger computingdevice 104 for files or other data), web browsing history, calendarappointments, emails, text messages, instant messages, location data(e.g., from GPS 210 of the device), other activity information, and/orinformation derived therefrom. In various embodiments, device activityinformation may be used (e.g., by the passenger application or thebackend system 116) to identify one or more events the user plans toattend. Any suitable event may be identified based on the deviceactivity information, such as a flight departure or arrival, a traindeparture or arrival, another type of transportation event, a businessor other meeting, a calendar appointment, a concert, a doctor'sappointment, an appointment with a civic office (such as a department ofmotor vehicles), a sporting event, a social event (e.g., the passengermay need to be at a friend's house by a specific time), or othersuitable event.

For any suitable identified events, passenger device activity data 317may also comprise indications of whether a particular event resulted inthe generation of a transportation request and if so, the particulardetails of the transportation request or a link to the transportationrequest in historical request data 326 (to be explained in furtherdetail below). In various embodiments, passenger device activity data317 may also comprise statistics correlating particular events withtransportation requests made by the passengers. For example, passengerdevice activity data 317 may include statistics indicating how likelyone or more particular types of events are to result in the generationof a transportation request by the passenger.

Driver account data 318 may include any suitable information associatedwith driver accounts, such as contact information (e.g., real names andaddresses), user names and passwords (or other authenticationinformation), payment collection information (e.g., bank accountinformation), vehicle information (e.g., models and colors of cars thedrivers utilize, maximum capacity of the cars of the drivers),merchandise offered by the drivers, whether the drivers are available totransport passengers, whether the drivers have opted for automaticacceptance of transportation requests (whereby the backend server 302may assign a transportation request to the driver without waiting forthe driver to indicate acceptance of a request), or other suitableinformation.

Transportation request data 320 may comprise pending requests (i.e.,requests that have not yet been fulfilled) received from passengers.Each request may include any suitable information, such as anycombination of one or more of an identification of the passenger makingthe request, the time the request was made, the current location of thepassenger, the desired pick-up location, the desired pick-up time, theestimated time remaining until a driver can pick up the passenger, theactual pick-up time, the desired destination location of the passenger(which the passenger may or may not provide at the time the request ismade), the expected arrival time at the destination location, the typeof vehicle requested, estimated fare for the trip, current accumulatedfare for the trip, estimated time and mileage remaining in the trip,other information specified by the user (e.g., requested merchandise,requested minimum rating of driver), whether a driver has been assignedto a request, and which driver has been assigned to a request.

In particular embodiments, transportation request data 320 may alsostore information regarding events that are associated with particulartransportation requests. For example, if a particular transportationrequest has been associated with a particular event, the entry for thetransportation request may indicate this association as well asinformation regarding the event (or a link to such information), such asa location of the event, a scheduled start time of the event, an eventinformation source associated with the event (e.g., a web address orother identifier of an information source from which current informationabout the event may be obtained). An entry for a transportation requestmay also include a scheduled pickup time for the driver to pick up thepassenger, a scheduled route that the driver is to take to transport thepassenger from the pickup location to the location of the event, anestimated length of time it will take to travel the route, or othersuitable information. In various embodiments, these parameters may beupdated in response to a change of one or more parameters, such as thestart time of the event, the pickup location, or traffic conditions.

Driver availability data 322 may comprise information associated withdrivers that are available to transport passengers. In some embodiments,driver availability data 322 may also comprise information associatedwith drivers that are not available to transport passengers (e.g.,because they are off-duty or currently transporting a passenger). Anentry in the driver availability data 322 may include an identificationof a driver and any suitable associated information, such as one or moreof a current location of the driver, whether the driver is available totransport passengers, whether the driver is currently transporting apassenger, a destination location of a current trip of the driver, anestimate of how long it will be before the driver finishes his currenttrip, whether the driver has opted for automatic acceptance oftransportation requests, or other suitable information. In particularembodiments, driver availability data 322 may include informationindicating whether a driver is travelling towards a location selectedbased on one or more prospective passengers (e.g., in anticipation ofreceiving a transportation request from one of the passengers).

Navigational data 324 may comprise information supporting navigationfunctions provided by the passenger applications and driver passengerapplications. For example, navigational data 324 may comprise map datathat may be sent to passenger computing devices 104 and driver computingdevices 108 to allow the devices to display maps and associatedindicators (e.g., location of passenger(s), location of driver(s),desired routes, etc.). In some embodiments, the navigational data mayalso comprise information indicative of the amount of time required totravel between various locations. In some embodiments, navigational data324 may comprise historic and/or real time data about the flow oftraffic in particular areas enabling backend server 302 to calculate anestimated time required to travel from one location to another.

Historical request data 326 may comprise information about completedrequests. In some embodiments, historical request data 326 may alsoinclude information about canceled requests. The information for eachrequest may include any combination of the information listed above withrespect to requests stored in the transportation request data 320 aswell as any combination of additional data such as the time at which thedestination location was reached, the total time of the trip, the totalfare, a rating given by the passenger to the driver or by the driver tothe passenger for the trip, or other suitable information associatedwith the trip.

In various embodiments, backend server 302 may access third partyservices 306 through business logic 328 to access data 330. Third partyservices 306 may represent any suitable number of devices operated byany suitable number of third parties that are distinct from an entitythat operates the backend system 116 and/or data store 304. For example,in some embodiments the navigational data may be obtained from a thirdparty service 306 rather than data store 304, or additional third partynavigational data such as map data or historical and/or current trafficflow information may be used to supplement navigational data 324. Asanother example, third party services 306 may authenticate users onbehalf of the backend server 302 (e.g., through an account of the userwith the third party). In particular embodiments, a third party service306 may communicate with device assistant logic 230 of various passengercomputing devices to receive device activity information and sendinformation to the passenger computing devices 104 to provideinformation enabling the functionality of device assistant logic 230. Insome embodiments, the activity information may be transmitted by thethird party service 306 to backend server 302. In various embodiments,the device activity information may be filtered by the third partyservice 306 before transmission to the backend server 302. For example,third party service 306 may filter out non-relevant information orinformation that is restricted from being sent by one or more privacysetting preferences of the passenger. Third party service 306 may alsoprocess the activity information on the transportation service's behalfbefore transmitting the processed information to the backend server. Forexample, third party service 306 might aggregate activity information todetermine one or more events associated with the passenger (e.g., aflight or a meeting) and send information associated with the event tobackend server 302. Business logic 328 may comprise any suitable logicoperable to receive requests for data from backend system 116 and/orcomputing devices 104 and 108 and provide responses to the requests.

Backend server 302 may be in communication with each passenger computingdevice 104 and each driver computing device 108 that is utilizing thetransportation service at a particular time. Backend server may storeinformation received from the computing devices 104 and 108 in datastore 304. Backend server 302 may also receive and respond to requestsmade by computing devices 104 and 108 by processing informationretrieved from data store 304.

When a passenger opens the passenger application, the backend server 302may log the passenger in based on a comparison of authenticationinformation provided by the passenger computing device 104 withauthentication information stored in passenger account data 316. Thepassenger may then request a ride. The request is received by thebackend server 302 and stored in transportation request data 320.Backend server 302 may access driver availability data 322 to determineone or more drivers that would be suitable to fulfill the request fromthe passenger. In one embodiment, backend server 302 selects aparticular driver (e.g., based on the driver's locality with respect tothe passenger's pick-up location) and sends information associated withthe request to the driver. The driver indicates whether he accepts orrejects the request via his computing device 108. If the driver rejectsthe request, backend server 302 selects a different driver and theprocess is repeated until the backend server 302 receives an acceptedrequest from a driver. In another embodiment, backend server 302 mayselect a plurality of drivers that may fulfill a transportation requestand allow the passenger to select one of the drivers. The backend server302 may proceed to notify the driver of the request in a similar mannerto that described above. In yet another embodiment, backend server 302may select a plurality of drivers that may fulfill a transportationrequest and notify each driver of the transportation request. Thebackend server 302 may then allocate the request to one of the driversbased on any suitable criteria. For example, the driver who is the firstto accept the request may be assigned to the request. As anotherexample, if multiple drivers accept the request within a giventimeframe, the request may be assigned to the most suitable driver(e.g., the driver that is closest to the pick-up location or a driverthat has a car that meets preferred characteristics of thetransportation request).

Once the request has been accepted by a driver, the backend server 302notifies the passenger that a driver has accepted his request andprovides any suitable information associated with the driver (e.g.,driver's current location, model and color of vehicle, estimated time ofarrival, etc.) to the passenger.

The backend server 302 may provide navigation information (e.g., thepassenger's current location or other pickup location and directions tothe current location or other pickup location) to the driver computingdevice 108 to direct the driver to the passenger's pickup location andsubsequently to direct the driver to the passenger's destinationlocation. The backend server 302 may also provide real-time updatesassociated with the trip to both the passenger and the driver.

Once the passenger's destination location has been reached, the backendserver 302 may facilitate payment of the fare for the trip using paymentinformation stored in passenger account data 316 and/or driver accountdata 318 (or information supplied by the passenger at the time of thetransaction). The backend server 302 may also receive ratings associatedwith the trip for the passenger and driver and store these ratings indata store 304.

In various embodiments, backend server 302 may receiving atransportation request from a subscriber and associate an event with thetransportation request. The backend server 302 may determine toassociate a transportation request with an event in any suitable manner.

For example, a transportation request may be associated with an eventwhen the transportation request that explicitly identifies an event isreceived. For example, the transportation request may be linked to acalendar appointment of the passenger. As another example, thetransportation request may identify an event on a social networking site(as one example, the transportation request may be generated from anevent page of the social networking site). As another example, an eventmay be selected from a plurality of events available for display bypassenger application logic 218 (e.g., in a list or stored in asearchable database). As another example, passenger application logic218 may use information from a transportation request entered by a userto identify an event and append the event to the transportation requestbefore sending the request to backend server 302. In variousembodiments, the event may comprise a combination of the destinationlocation and a necessary arrival time specified by the passenger withinthe transportation request (e.g., using passenger application logic218).

As another example, a transportation request may be associated with anevent when the transportation request or device activity information ofthe passenger computing device 104 includes information that the backendserver is able to correlate with an event. For example, the backendserver may compare any suitable combination of details specified in atransportation request, such as a destination location and a pickup time(from which an estimated arrival time may be calculated), againstparameters of a known event (e.g., location and start time) to checkwhether the transportation request corresponds to the event. As anotherexample, the event may be identified from the device activityinformation in any suitable manner. For example, details associated withthe event may be explicitly specified in the device activity information(e.g., the start time and location of an event may be specified in acalendar appointment). As another example, particular details associatedwith the event (e.g., the name of the event or a location of the event)may be specified in the device activity information and an eventinformation source may be consulted for additional information about theevent (e.g., the start time of the event).

In various embodiments, backend server 302 may connect to eventinformation sources through one or more networks. An event informationsource may include any source containing information about an event. Forexample, an event information source may be a server hosting a webpagecontaining event information, a server providing an API through whichbackend server 302 may request event information from the server, aserver providing access to a file (e.g., a calendar file such as aniCalendar or vCalendar file) containing information about one or moreevents, a computing device which may be used by an administrator tomanually enter event information, information obtained from a passengeror driver computing device, or other suitable source. In an embodiment,an event information source includes a social network system. In someembodiments, event information may be uploaded directly to backendserver 302 via a flash drive or other means. In one embodiment, backendserver 302 may access various websites and parse the data included inthe websites to obtain the event information. The event informationobtained from one or more event information sources may include anysuitable information about an event, such as a title of the event, alocation of the event, a type of the event, a start time of the event,or other information associated with the event which may be comparedagainst parameters in the transportation request or device activityinformation.

In particular embodiments, in situations in which an event is identifiedbased on information in the transportation request or device activityinformation, the backend server 302 may send a message to the passengercomputing device 104 asking the passenger to confirm that the eventshould be associated with the transportation request and only associatethe event with the transportation request when an affirmative answer isreceived.

In various embodiments, backend server 302 may process transportationrequests that are associated with events in a manner that is differentfrom the way it processes standard transportation request. For example,backend server 302 may determine a pickup time for the transportationrequest that is calculated to allow the passenger to arrive at thedestination location at or prior to the start time of the event (and mayadjust this pickup time if conditions change). Backend server 302 mayalso monitor the status or start time of the event and notify thepassenger (e.g., via passenger computing device 104) if there is achange in status (e.g., if the event is canceled) or start time. Backendserver 302 may also cancel the transportation request if the event iscanceled. In various embodiments, backend server 302 may first inquireof the passenger whether the passenger desires such functionality beforeprocessing the transportation requests in any of these manners.

In particular embodiments, backend server 302 may determine a pickuptime for the transportation request that is calculated to allow thepassenger to arrive at the destination location at or prior to the starttime of the event. Such a determination may include determining adesired arrival time for the passenger to arrive at the event, alocation of the event, and a pickup location. An estimated travel timemay be determined based on the pickup location and the location of theevent and one or more other suitable factors, such as the current and/orestimated traffic between the pickup location and the location of theevent. In various embodiments, one or more routes between the pickuplocation and the location of the event are identified and an estimatedtime to travel each route at the relevant time is calculated and thetravel time of the best route is used as the estimated travel time. Theestimated travel time may be subtracted from the desired arrival time todetermine the pickup time.

In various embodiments, the desired arrival time is based on the event'sstart time. For example, the desired arrival time may be set to theevent's start time. As another example, the desired arrival time may beset to the event's start time minus an amount of time that may be viewedas a buffer. In some embodiments, the buffer may be specified by thepassenger using the passenger application logic 218. In otherembodiments, the buffer may be determined by the backend server 302.

In particular embodiments, backend server 302 may monitor one or moreparameters of the transportation request or the event and update thepickup time when relevant parameters change. For example, backend server302 may monitor an event information source associated with the event todetect whether the start time of the event has changed or the event hasbeen canceled. In particular embodiments, backend server 302 mayperiodically query the event information source as to whether the starttime of the event has changed or the event has been canceled. In otherembodiments, backend server 302 may be notified by an event informationsource when the start time changes or the event is canceled. If it isdetermined that the start time of the event has changed, the pickup timemay be updated to take into account the changed start time.

In various embodiments, if it is determined that the pickup location haschanged, the pickup time is updated to take into account the changedpickup location. The change of the pickup location may be based onpassenger input or passenger movement. For example, the passenger mayhave specified a location (e.g., an address) initially and may changethe specified location after the transportation request has beensubmitted to the backend server 302. As another example, the passengermay have specified the pickup location as the location of the passengercomputing device and the passenger may change locations in between thesubmission of the transportation request and the calculated pickup time.The estimated travel time may be recalculated based on the new locationof the passenger's computing device and the pickup time may be adjustedaccordingly. The location of the passenger computing device may bemonitored at any suitable interval.

In various embodiments, the travel time may be recalculated at periodicintervals and if the travel time has changed because of a differencebetween the expected and actual traffic, the pickup time may be updatedaccordingly.

In various embodiments, backend server 302 notifies the passenger (e.g.,via passenger application logic 218 or other logic of passengercomputing device 104) when the pickup time changes. In particularembodiments, the passenger is not notified unless the pickup time haschanged by a value exceeding a predetermined threshold. In response to adetermination that the event has been canceled, the passenger may benotified of the cancelation. The notification may be withheld if thecancelation of the event was initiated by the passenger. In response tothe determination that the event has been canceled, the transportationrequest may be canceled by the backend server 302.

In particular embodiments, backend server 302 may proactively identifyan event that may be attended by the passenger based on device activityinformation (e.g., independent of a transportation request submitted bythe passenger). The backend server may base the determination of whetherthe passenger is likely attending an event on any suitable deviceactivity information, such as a calendar file comprising one or moreappointments of the passenger, one or more emails sent to or composed bythe passenger, one or more previous transportation requests made by thepassenger, web browser activity, one or more search queries made througha search engine by the passenger, historical location data of thepassenger's computing device 104, other device activity informationdescribed herein, or other suitable device activity information.

In some embodiments, in response to determining that a passenger islikely to attend the event, a message may be sent by backend server 302(or other computing system of backend system 116) to the passenger'scomputing device 104. The message may be sent to any suitable logic,such as passenger application logic 218, email application logic 224, orother logic of passenger computing device 104 for presentation to thepassenger. The message may include any suitable indication to encourageor assist the passenger to submit a transportation request in connectionwith the event. For example, the message may include information aboutthe event, an estimated pickup time, an estimated time of arrival at thelocation of the event, a discounted fare offer, a query as to whetherthe passenger desires a ride, or other suitable information. Inparticular embodiments, the message may include reply options that allowthe passenger to submit a transportation request (from within or outsideof the passenger application) or indicate that the passenger does notdesire a transportation request.

In various embodiments, backend system 302 may reserve a driver tofulfill a transportation request associated with an event andtemporarily limit the transportation requests that the driver is offeredto requests that may be fulfilled by the driver while still allowing thedriver to fulfill the transportation request associated with the event.In one embodiment, in response to a change in the pickup time of thetransportation request, a driver who was previously selected to fulfillthe transportation request may be released from fulfilling thetransportation request and a different driver may be selected to fulfillthe transportation request.

FIG. 4 is an example flowchart illustrating possible operations of aflow 400 that may be associated with determining a pickup time, inaccordance with an embodiment. In an embodiment, one or more operationsof flow 400 may be performed by one or more of backend server 302 orpassenger application logic 218.

At 402, a transportation request is received from a passenger. At 404,the transportation request is associated with an event. At 406, adesired arrival time for a passenger to arrive at a destination isreceived. In various embodiments, the desired arrival time is based onthe start time of the event and the destination is the location of theevent. At 408, a location of the passenger is determined. In variousembodiments, the location may be a location preconfigured by thepassenger (e.g., a home or residence of the passenger, a workplace ofthe passenger, a specific location the passenger would like to be pickedup, etc.) or the location may be a dynamic location of the passenger(e.g., as measured by GPS 210). At 410, a route to the destination isdetermined. At 412, a time period to travel to the destination isdetermined based on the route. At 414, a pickup time is determined,where the pickup time is at least partially based on the desired arrivaltime and the time period to travel to the destination. At 416, thepickup time is communicated to the passenger. In an example, the pickuptime can be determined by the distance between the pickup location andthe destination, the estimated traffic during the travel time to thedestination, the forecasted weather (e.g., rain or snow typically causesan increase in travel time), whether there is any construction along theroute, or other factors that can affect the travel time from the pickuplocation to the destination. For example, if the desired arrival time is7:00 pm and it takes an average of 1 hour to travel from the pickuplocation to the destination the pickup time may be 6:00 pm. However, ifthe expected travel time increases due to rush hour traffic or inclementweather, the pickup time can be set to an earlier time.

Some of the steps illustrated in FIG. 4 may be repeated, combined,modified or deleted where appropriate, and additional steps may also beincluded. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order orconcurrently without departing from the scope of particular embodiments.

FIG. 5 is an example flowchart illustrating possible operations of aflow 500 that may be associated with determining a pickup time, inaccordance with an embodiment. In an embodiment, one or more operationsof flow 500 may be performed by one or more of backend server 302 orpassenger application logic 218. In various embodiments, operations ofthe flow may occur in conjunction with an event being associated with atransportation request.

At 502, a desired arrival time for a passenger to arrive at adestination is received. At 504, a location of the passenger isdetermined. At 506, a route to the destination is determined. At 508, atime period to travel to the destination is determined. At 510, a pickuptime is determined, where the pickup time is at least partially based onthe desired arrival time and the time period to travel to thedestination. At 512, the pickup time is communicated to a computingdevice of the passenger. At 514, the system determines if the locationof the passenger has changed. If the location of the passenger haschanged, then a (new) location of the passenger is determined, as in504. If the location has not changed, then the system determines if thepassenger has been picked up, as in 516. If the passenger has not beenpicked up, then the system determines if the location of the passengerhas changed, as in 514. If the passenger has been picked up, then theprocess ends.

Some of the steps illustrated in FIG. 5 may be repeated, combined,modified or deleted where appropriate, and additional steps may also beincluded. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order orconcurrently without departing from the scope of particular embodiments.

FIG. 6 is an example flowchart illustrating possible operations of aflow 600 that may be associated with determining a pickup time, inaccordance with an embodiment. In an embodiment, one or more operationsof flow 600 may be performed by one or more of backend server 302 orpassenger application logic 218. In various embodiments, operations ofthe flow may occur in conjunction with an event being associated with atransportation request.

At 602, a desired arrival time for a passenger to arrive at adestination is received. At 604, a location of the passenger isdetermined. At 606, a route to the destination is determined. At 608, atime period to travel to the destination is determined. At 610, a pickuptime is determined, where the pickup time is at least partially based onthe desired arrival time and the time period to travel to thedestination. At 612, the pickup time is communicated to a computingdevice of the passenger. At 614, the system determines if the pickuptime needs to be changed. If the pickup time needs to be changed (e.g.,in response to a determination that the start time of the event haschanged), then a new pickup time is determined, as in 616. At 618, thenew pickup time is communicated to the computing device. If the pickuptime has not changed, then the system determines if the passenger hasbeen picked up, as in 620. If the passenger has not been picked up, thenthe system determines if the pickup time needs to be changed, as in 614.If the passenger has been picked up, then the process ends.

Some of the steps illustrated in FIG. 6 may be repeated, combined,modified or deleted where appropriate, and additional steps may also beincluded. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order orconcurrently without departing from the scope of particular embodiments.

It is also important to note that the steps in FIGS. 4-6 illustrate onlysome of the possible scenarios that may be executed by, or within, thevarious components of the system described herein. Some of these stepsmay be deleted or removed where appropriate, or these steps may bemodified or changed considerably without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure. In addition, a number of these operations may havebeen described as being executed concurrently with, or in parallel to,one or more additional operations. However, the timing of theseoperations may be altered considerably. The preceding operational flowshave been offered for purposes of example and discussion.

The functionality described herein may also be performed by any suitablecomponent of the system. For example, certain functionality describedherein as being performed by backend server 116, may, in variousembodiments, be performed by any combination of one or more passengercomputing devices 104 or driver computing devices 108 where appropriate.Similarly, certain functionality described herein as being performed bya passenger computing device 104 or a driver computing device 108 may,in various embodiments, be performed by backend server 116 whereappropriate.

Numerous other changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, andmodifications may be ascertained to one skilled in the art and it isintended that the present disclosure encompass all such changes,substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications as fallingwithin the scope of the appended claims. In order to assist the UnitedStates Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and, additionally, anyreaders of any patent issued on this application in interpreting theclaims appended hereto, Applicant wishes to note that the Applicant: (a)does not intend any of the appended claims to invoke paragraph six (6)of 35 U. S.C. section 112 as it exists on the date of the filing hereofunless the words “means for” or “step for” are specifically used in theparticular claims; and (b) does not intend, by any statement in thespecification, to limit this disclosure in any way that is not otherwisereflected in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, from a passengercomputing device associated with a passenger of a transportation system,a transportation request indicating a pickup location and a destinationlocation; determining that the transportation request corresponds to anevent comprising an event location and an event start time; in responseto determining that the transportation request corresponds to the event,determining a pickup time for the transportation request to allow thepassenger to arrive at the event location by the event start time; andselecting, from among a plurality of drivers associated with thetransportation system, a driver to fulfill the transportation request totransport the passenger to the event location by the event start time.2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the transportationrequest corresponds to the event comprises identifying event informationfor the event within the transportation request.
 3. The method of claim1, wherein determining that the transportation request corresponds tothe event comprises: identifying event information within a calendarfile associated with the passenger; and determining a likelihood thatthe passenger is going to attend the event based on the eventinformation within the calendar file.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereindetermining that the transportation request corresponds to the eventcomprises: accessing previous transportation requests and historicallocation data associated with the passenger; and determining alikelihood that the passenger is going to attend the event based on theprevious transportation requests and the historical location data. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the transportationrequest corresponds to the event comprises: accessing event informationindicating the event location and the event start time; and comparingthe event location with the destination location and the event starttime with a pickup time associated with the transportation request. 6.The method of claim 1, further comprising temporarily limiting a numberof transportation requests provided to a driver device associated withthe driver to ensure that the driver can fulfill the transportationrequest to transport the passenger to the event location by the eventstart time.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving,from the passenger computing device, an updated transportation requestindicating a modified pickup time; releasing the selected driver basedon the modified pickup time; and selecting a new driver from among theplurality of drivers to fulfill the transportation request to transportthe passenger to the event location by the event start time.
 8. Anon-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that,when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to:receive, from a passenger computing device associated with a passengerof a transportation system, a transportation request indicating a pickuplocation and a destination location; determine that the transportationrequest corresponds to an event comprising an event location and anevent start time; in response to determining that the transportationrequest corresponds to the event, determine a pickup time for thetransportation request to allow the passenger to arrive at the eventlocation by the event start time; and select, from among a plurality ofdrivers associated with the transportation system, a driver to fulfillthe transportation request to transport the passenger to the eventlocation by the event start time.
 9. The non-transitory computerreadable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions that, whenexecuted by the at least one processor, cause the computing device todetermine that the transportation request corresponds to the event byidentifying event information for the event within the transportationrequest.
 10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8,further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least oneprocessor, cause the computing device to determine that thetransportation request corresponds to the event by: identifying eventinformation within a calendar file associated with the passenger; anddetermining a likelihood that the passenger is going to attend the eventbased on the event information within the calendar file.
 11. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprisinginstructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causethe computing device to determine that the transportation requestcorresponds to the event by: accessing previous transportation requestsand historical location data associated with the passenger; anddetermining a likelihood that the passenger is going to attend the eventbased on the previous transportation requests and the historicallocation data.
 12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim8, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at leastone processor, cause the computing device to determine that thetransportation request corresponds to the event by: accessing eventinformation indicating the event location and the event start time; andcomparing the event location with the destination location and the eventstart time with a pickup time associated with the transportationrequest.
 13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8,further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least oneprocessor, cause the computing device to temporarily limit a number oftransportation requests provided to a driver device associated with thedriver to ensure that the driver can fulfill the transportation requestto transport the passenger to the event location by the event starttime.
 14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8,further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least oneprocessor, cause the computing device to: receive, from the passengercomputing device, an updated transportation request indicating amodified pickup time; release the selected driver based on the modifiedpickup time; and select a new driver from among the plurality of driversto fulfill the transportation request to transport the passenger to theevent location by the event start time.
 15. A system comprising: atleast one processor; and a non-transitory computer readable mediumcomprising instructions that, when executed by the at least oneprocessor, cause the system to: receive, from a passenger computingdevice associated with a passenger of a transportation system, atransportation request indicating a pickup location and a destinationlocation; determine that the transportation request corresponds to anevent comprising an event location and an event start time; in responseto determining that the transportation request corresponds to the event,determine a pickup time for the transportation request to allow thepassenger to arrive at the event location by the event start time; andselect, from among a plurality of drivers associated with thetransportation system, a driver to fulfill the transportation request totransport the passenger to the event location by the event start time.16. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, whenexecuted by the at least one processor, cause the system to determinethat the transportation request corresponds to the event by identifyingevent information for the event within the transportation request. 17.The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, whenexecuted by the at least one processor, cause the system to determinethat the transportation request corresponds to the event by: identifyingevent information within a calendar file associated with the passenger;and determining a likelihood that the passenger is going to attend theevent based on the event information within the calendar file.
 18. Thesystem of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executedby the at least one processor, cause the system to determine that thetransportation request corresponds to the event by: accessing previoustransportation requests and historical location data associated with thepassenger; and determining a likelihood that the passenger is going toattend the event based on the previous transportation requests and thehistorical location data.
 19. The system of claim 15, further comprisinginstructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causethe system to determine that the transportation request corresponds tothe event by: accessing event information indicating the event locationand the event start time; and comparing the event location with thedestination location and the event start time with a pickup timeassociated with the transportation request.
 20. The system of claim 15,further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least oneprocessor, cause the system to temporarily limit a number oftransportation requests provided to a driver device associated with thedriver to ensure that the driver can fulfill the transportation requestto transport the passenger to the event location by the event starttime.